Malaysia floats plan for third link to Singapore

Malaysia's former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad during an interview at his office in PutrajayaReuters

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Thursday there is "some" plan to build a third link with Singapore, amid reports that Malaysia's southern state of Johor was in talks to build a bridge that could be completed in three or four years.

Singapore is currently linked to Johor via a very busy causeway to the north and a bridge from the western part of the island state.

Asked about a plan to build a third link, Mahathir told reporters in Kuala Lumpur: "There is some plan in the offing ... there is already some plan." He did not provide any further details.

"We have not received any official proposal or communications from Malaysia regarding a third link between Singapore and Malaysia," a Singapore Ministry of Transport spokesperson told Reuters late on Thursday.

Malaysia's Star newspaper quoted Johor's chief minister Osman Sapian as saying the state government was in talks with a company about the third link project, which could be built in the next three to four years.

Mahathir's comment comes after he took aim at a series of infrastructure projects with China and with Singapore that had been pushed by his predecessor Najib Razak, whom he drove from office in a surprise election victory in May.

Mahathir has suspended plans for a high speed rail link from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore.